Three Sheets to the Wind (Usagi/open)

[Neo Queen Serenity]

Usagi made sure to head in a random direction as she quickly left Mamoru and Khalid. She didn't want them to notice that she was going to the bar. She made sure she was completely across the ballroom from them before finding her way to the open bar on that side of the room.

When was this party going to be over with, already? Other than the dance with Alexander and Makoto's food, it hadn't been all that exciting. There was seeing Motoki again, of course, and she enjoyed meeting some of the VIPs... but for the most part it had been a huge mess.

That conversation had taken more out of her than she thought. Her mask of happiness was becoming slightly threadbare. She just wanted to collapse into bed and cry and sleep, instead of trying to party. She felt overdone with her make-up and dress, now, and would happily trade it all for a bed and privacy, to mourn the gulf in her heart that seemed to widen with each moment. Despite her bravado with Mamoru, her fervent belief that this was right, it still left her feeling like the world's biggest idiot, especially after the look on his face.

Sighing, she shoved her way through the long line to the bar. "Excuse me, but this is an emergency!" Reaching the front, she slammed her hands down on top of it, leaning over and standing on her tiptoes to look the bartender directly in the face.

"I'll take some absinthe, please. What? What do you mean you don't have it? Hmm. Alright, then can I have some moonshine? Not that either?! C'mon, you're killing me here! What about Everclear? I know you have Everclear! Don't-- don't you hide that bottle from me!!"

[Kino Makoto]

Somehow, Makoto had sobered up rather quickly. Maybe it was the food. Maybe it was the dancing. Maybe it was that her former lover wasn’t in such a hurry to rekindle that flame. Maybe that was a good idea. Maybe it was time for another drink.

She squeezed her way back to the bar and noticed Usagi practically pounding on the table. Chuckling she sidled up beside the Queen and pat her on the back. “What seems to be the problem here? We can’t possibly be running dry already!!”

[Neo Queen Serenity]

Usagi glanced as her friend came up to the bar, and shook her head, calming down slightly. At least Makoto had a moderating influence on her-- slightly. Makoto had had two shots of tequila, and she would understand Usagi's need... Maybe not for absinthe or Everclear, but for something...

"No, they're not out, they're just not being very cooperative," Usagi said, glaring at the bartender who cringed. "He's trying to hide the Everclear from me. Honestly!" she huffed. "Did someone get to you?" Usagi accused him. "Are you Secret Service undercover or something?"

With a martyred sigh, she flicked back a long lock of blonde hair. "Fine, you win. I'll take a shooter, then. Liquid Cocaine."'

The much-abused bartender, who had only been trying to do the right thing by keeping his Queen from running off with a bottle of 191 proof grain alcohol, nodded hurriedly and quickly mixed up the recipe, sliding it over.

"Cheers," Usagi remarked to Makoto, though from the flat tone of her voice it was obviously more sarcasm than genuine holiday spirit. Without another word, she knocked it back. It burned, and wasn't the most tasty thing the world, but she could feel the kick, and managed not to grimace, plunking down the shot glass and sliding it back. "Another."

"Don't you want a chaser? Water? Anything between shots one and two?" squeaked the bartender.

Usagi glared at the man who was getting between her and Problem-Solving in a Bottle. "No. I don't want a chaser. I want my shot! What are you having?" she asked, dropping the irritation from her voice as she turned to speak to Makoto. "I'll make sure you actually get it. This one is tricky..." she said with another suspicious glare at the tender.

[Kino Makoto]

Makoto furrowed her brows as Usagi seemed to be rather on edge. It wasn’t normal for her sister to be so…hostile. The bartender shot her a glance and Makoto nodded, a signal that he’d best follow the Queen’s orders.

She stood speechless and just watched the goings-on for a moment. What in the world could have gotten into Usagi? Makoto shook the thought off, as she recalled her own reasons for being at the bar again.

As the bartender poured the second shot for Usagi, she ordered her first. “I’ll have a Purple Haze.” She pursed her lips as another thought crossed her mind. “Actually, make it a double.” She shot Usagi a sideways glance. “I need to catch up.”

While waiting, she turned fully to face Usagi. “So, should I ask what the problem is… or are we both here for the same reasons?”

[Neo Queen Serenity]

At Makoto's question, Usagi lowered her gaze, beginning to feel guilty. The bartender was probably only doing his job, either as a bartender or a undercover Secret Service agent that had been placed there just to prevent her from getting into trouble-- she wouldn't put it past Lucan. Either way, she was being rather bitchy. She just wanted a strong drink! But the way she had approached-- well, it wasn't very queenly.

"No, we're not here for the same reason. Maybe similar emotions..." After all, the love of her life was ending, Makoto's could possibly be just beginning. Both could be occasions for drinking.

Usagi sighed, not sure if she wanted to talk about. What was there to say? It had ended. Period. Full stop. Big, gaping hole in heart. That was all there was to it.

"I had a chat with Mamoru," she managed to get out. "He wanted me back. Long story short: I said no." There were so many things coming out now, about them, that it was hard to keep up.

"You?"

[Aino Minako]

"Three Sex with an Alligator's" Minako called out to the bartender as she strode up to Usagi and Makoto. She might have been blonde, but she didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see there was tension oozing forth from both friends. That and she'd overhead Usagi's comment about talking to Mamoru as she'd approached.

The bartender, already feeling abused, decided to keep himself mute as he quickly poured the next round of shots for the women who ruled the Earth. Once all three were sitting on the bartop, Minako motioned for her sister to take their drinks. "One shot down and then you two spill why you're moping on the biggest party night of the year." Just because she'd overhead, didn't mean she had to tell either of them exactly what she'd heard. Instead, she raised her own glass and waited for them to join her.

[Kino Makoto]

Makoto solemnly nodded at Usagi’s revelation. She didn’t need more information than that. While she still held out hope that the couple would get back together, it was quite obvious that it would not be tonight…or any time soon for that matter.

When Usagi inquired as to Makoto’s troubles, she simply shrugged. “Just too many things have happened lately, to all of us really, to want to deal with tonight.” Pointing to the drink that the bartender sat before her, she smiled. “That will at least ease the discomfort for a little while.” Removing the glass from the bar, she downed the large shooter in a matter of seconds. “Yeah… that’ll do the trick.”

She jerked her head to the side as she heard another familiar voice pipe up. Makoto chuckled at Minako’s drink of choice for the three, and chuckled again at her next comment. “Moping? Who’s moping?” Playfully nudging Usagi, she continued, “We’re having the time of our lives here!” Setting her first glass down, she picked up the new one and held it up along with Minako, looking forward to whatever toast would be offered.

[Neo Queen Serenity]

"Time of our lives," Usagi bleated back blandly, staring ahead for a moment and letting the heat of that last shot warm her mouth and throat, seeming to sink into her veins. It didn't seem to quite penetrate the chill in her heart, however, so she picked up the second one, raising it with Minako, a small smile creeping up on her lips. Screw men. She had her friends here. They were even drinking with her! No lectures required!

"You two know that I love you forever for this, right?" she said, tossing her head, her mood swinging from one extreme to the other under the influence of the alcohol.

"To the truth," she said, raising her shot glass and clumsily clinking it against her sisters'. It was ironic that this happened on New Year's Eve. By the time the New Year rolled around she would have finished her obligations, she would have ended a relationship, and would start fresh. How fitting that everything happened as it was supposed to. This would, theoretically, bring her good fortune.

At least she could be grateful for that?

"To the truth," Usagi repeated. "Which will set you free, but first it'll make you miserable. Let us always choose truth before comfort, and right before routine." She raised the shot, knocking it back in one large swallow. After the first one, it didn't even burn this time. Instead, she felt her cheeks flush, and a nice buzz settle in, mellowing out the pain.

"There's not a pair of ladies that I would prefer to do this with," she grinned. "As much as I love Rei and Ami, I'm afraid Rei would lecture me and Ami would give me some kind of medical advice..."

[Aino Minako]

"To Truth," Minako repeated, following suit and letting her glass clink against Makoto's and Usagi's. "And friendship, because when the truth makes you miserable at least your friends are here to have a drink or two with you." Minako watched Usagi down the drink faster than she'd expected, then lifted her own glass to her lips and let the liquid burn its way quickly down her throat. At least the drink was tasty. She set the glass back on the bar and turned back to Makoto and Usagi.

"I can't picture Ami taking shots," she replied, giggling slightly at the imagine of the doctor examining the contents of the glass instead of drinking it. "But perhaps one night we should try, just to see if she would." She paused for a moment, an idea forming. "You know, Ami did mention wanting to do a get-together. We ended up with that small slumber party in your room last week, but we should do a girls night out. Just the five of us. I think we need that." Minako at least, needed it. All her months of travel had left her feeling somewhat disconnected. "What do you say Usagi? Leave the Earth in your assistant's capable hands while Lucan escorts us to some resort island under cover? I could use a suntan or two and a pina colada."

[Kino Makoto]

Makoto didn’t fail to notice the sourness in Usagi’s voice as she repeated her words. She gave her Queen a quick side hug and smiled as her mood seemed to quickly lighten.

She raised her glass in unison with the other two. “To truth, misery, and friendship!” Makoto downed her drink in one large gulp and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

“I agree. Ami would not be seen partaking in our debauchery. We really need to get her to loosen up a little,” she chuckled. “And Rei…well Rei is just Rei.” The chuckle turned into a hearty laugh.

“See, I’ve been saying for a while now that I need a vacation. I don’t know why we shouldn’t all take some time away. After this week, I think we deserve it!”

[Neo Queen Serenity]

"And friendship!" Usagi echoed Minako heartily, quickly returning Makoto's side hug, though she held on for a little bit. The room was starting to sway slightly. The strong alcohol was quickly saturating her blood, bringing a flush to her cheeks and a mellow smile to her lips.

"Yeah, we do need Ami to loosen up," she spoke up again, slightly louder than normal speaking volume. "Why don't we tell her that she's our science experiment? We're trying to measure the different effects mixed drinks have on her personality. If we all wear lab coats and hold clipboards and frown thoughtfully, she might go for it. Better yet, put the drink in a test tube." Usagi giggled at her nefarious plan, and kept on giggling even as Minako and Makoto started talking about going to an island or a vacation

A nice island resort... She pictured herself lying on the beach with a mojito, soaking up the sun's rays and listening to the pounding of the surf upon the sand. But a mojito made her think of rum, and rum made her think of Johnny Depp. The image changed to her lying on a beach with a shirtless Johnny Depp, sharing a mojito. Then Makoto said the word vacation, and the last time she had talked about a vacation was with Alex, though that was in Romania. The fairy-tale castle and glistening winter wonderland scene she had pictured him in changed, and he was with her on the beach. He said he was at her disposal, surely he wouldn't mind her commandeering him to canoodle with her and Johnny Depp on the beach? Both of them with their shirts off?

And then Minako talked about Lucan, who would be needed to sneak them away to this secret island paradise. Once again her mental image shifted. Lucan and Johnny Depp were practicing sword-fighting-- shirtless, while she snuggled with Alex, who was also shirtless, while three blazingly hot cabana boys held the mojito up for her to sip on, fed her key lime pie, and rubbed her down with tanning oil.

Minako was an actress, she had to know Johnny Depp, right? Because shirtless Johnny Depp was integral to the whole operation. She found herself nodding in agreement to her own thoughts, and then blinked. She had been silent for quite a while, and surely Minako and Makoto were awaiting an answer!

Prying her brain away from her drunken tropical fantasies, she grinned at her sisters. "I think it's a lovely idea. We'd have to take SOME personnel, there are SOME things I would have to continue doing as queen. But, it would be small and intimate and we could take a nice long vacation... Besides, the only way I'll ever get Lucan to take a vacation is to take one myself," Usagi said dryly. "But, yes. The five of us, Lucan, essential personnel, and the cabana boys. If we're going to an island, we have to have them. I am the Queen and I demand cabana boys on my vacation. Preferably ones with six packs. And speedos. Tropical speedos! That can be their uniform," she babbled.

[Khalid ibn Maleec]

Khalid spotted Minako along with Usagi and Makoto. He had not yet met Makoto, but as a good business man, he had learned everything that was publicly available about the new government and those involved, which meant he was aware of the identities of the Senshi. If his research was correct, than she was also responsible for the wonderful food at the party this evening.

He raised an eyebrow when he was near enough to hear the queen discussing cabana boys. "I'm relieved to see that the magical young women who rule the world are still very human." The expression on his face was hard to read, but he was sincerely approving.

True, he would have preferred that they not be drunk, as he knew that there would be several individuals who would probably want to take advantage of the Queen's guard being lowered. However, it was also tactically desirable for the world to see that Usagi was very much human. It was a fine line, and Khalid was well aware of tenuous it was.

He nodded to Usagi, winked to Minako, and bowed to Makoto, "Kino-san, I presume. It is a pleasure to meet the woman responsible for such wonderful food. My compliments to the chef."

Straightening he smiled slightly, "May I join you lovely ladies?"

[Aino Minako]

Minako nodded at the Rei comment Makoto made and briefly wondered if the fire senshi had mentioned their fight to any of the others. Minako pushed the thought aside - she was here to have a good time and she'd deal with Rei later. Or continue to avoid her, although with all the talk of a vacation for the group of them, avoidance might be more than challenging. Perhaps she needed another drink. She was about to step back to the bar, when the topic switched back to Ami. Minako giggled at Usagi's comments, trying to picture them all in lab coats. "You know Ami, she'd rather be the one holding the clipboard analyzing our responses to alcohol. Think she'd really let the tables turn on her?"

And then there was talk of cabana boys. Minako found herself focusing on a vision of cabana boys bringing the senshi margaritas under a blazing sun. The image was rather appealing, and made her smile, especially when her cabana boy morphed from a dark-haired Latino into a white haired Arab. "Khalid!" she squealed too excitedly. Calming herself, she forced a smile. "I mean, of course you can join us." She could feel a blush on her cheeks, the alcohol causing her to act more like her former fangirl self than the mature idol she'd become. Perhaps she should stay away from the bar after all. "Usagi, Makoto and I were just discussing potential vacation destinations and I recall you had some opinions about your homelands?"

[Kino Makoto]

Makoto giggled along with Usagi and Minako as they joked about Ami and cabana boys and whatever else. The room was getting brighter, it seemed, lights dancing all about them yet the people were moving in slow motion. Pleasantly plastered at this point, she couldn’t help the goofy grin that had grown across her face as her own mind wandered off to some happy place involving fruity drinks and a rather handsome cabana boy of her own.

Khalid’s voice and modest bow before her snapped her back to reality. Caught slightly off guard, she managed to squeak out a “Thank you” and a bow of her own. Thankfully Minako spoke up and redirected Khalid’s attention. She watched the two interact and smiled to herself as visions of the past swirled through her mind. Perhaps these reunions with their former lovers weren’t going to be so bad after all…

[Neo Queen Serenity]

The alcohol was fast cycling through her brain at quite a clip, leaving her feeling slightly dizzy and glad she was perched on a bar stool instead of standing. She couldn't seem to stop letting little giggles escape, her pupils almost entirely dilated, making her eyes seem more black than blue. "Oh, Minako-chan... Sure, Ami would want to study us, but we have to give it a go, don't you think? Can't we just tell her she's the control group?"

Just then, Khalid happened to join them. Her mental capacity (if there was any left) was entirely jammed up, and instead of walking up to them, he just seemed to appear out of nowhere. So Khalid had learned to teleport already! Brilliant! Mamoru would be so happy that they were getting their powers back!

She beamed and nodded several times over, once more falling into a fit of giggles, having to lean on the bar to support herself, as Minako went from adult to adolescent fangirl in less than a second. She found herself swinging abruptly from amusement, frowning as he said it was nice to see that the magical girls were human. She was no longer a girl, and anyway...

"You really think so Khalid?" she asked, every attempt at formality falling at the wayside from her drunken state. "That's nice, my top political advisor doesn't think so, he told me... 'You must always seem human, but not often be so. We have people on staff to be human for you.' He said the public will get the wrong idea, they want perfection... Asshole." It vaguely niggled at her that she was totally wasted and perhaps it wasn't wise to be talking to a leading businessman while making a public spectacle of herself, but somehow that thought never manifested into any sort of action. She was fine! Totally fine. Better than she had been all night! She hadn't felt this on top of her game in hours!

"Mmm, yes, vacation. I'd love to see the Emirates but if we show up there in bikinis with cabana boys, I'll have like five kajillion fatwas come raining down on me. Rather not be a recruiting poster for the jihad, more than I already am..." She shook her head, blinking blearily. "Sorry, I don't want to talk politics. Ignore me..." she waved it off, nearly smacking herself in the face in the process.